(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of cleaning equipment surfaces in the fabrication of integrated circuits, and more particularly, to a method of cleaning copper, cobalt, or nickel from equipment surfaces in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Management of copper contamination is an important aspect of future high-tech wafer fabs. The current procedure of cleaning broken wafers that incorporate copper films (100% copper) in multi-level interconnects is to wipe the effected equipment parts with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and/or use a vacuum hose to suck out broken pieces. However, IPA does not dissolve copper, so copper remnants will still exist in the equipment. Furthermore, copper pieces on wipes, gloves, and cleanroom suits may accidentally contaminate wafer processing. The aforementioned contamination is also applicable to cobalt and nickel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,517 to Malladi et al teaches copper cleaning using a mild organic acid solution. TMAH cleaning is also mentioned. U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,433 to Ueno discloses a spin-cleaning method using IPA. U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,356 to Grivna et al teaches a hydrogen peroxide solution to prevent corrosion on metal surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,408 to Itoh et al discloses a self-adhering silicone composition including alkyldione peroxides.